They are MTV Icons, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and the granddaddies of power rock. And today they are taking the stage at the New Orleans Arena. Wings and aviators will entertain as the Stone Temple Pilots open for the legendary Aerosmith.
For those who do in fact “walk this way” an Aerosmith concert is a spiritual event and being a fan is more than knowing the lyrics to “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.” Unfortunately for slackers, VH1’s “Behind the Music: Aerosmith” doesn’t broadcast until November so Revelry will provide the Cliffs Notes.
Aerosmith drinks from the same elixir of life that Mick Jagger and crew sip from. Yet the band’s famed blues-influenced tunes of tight-worded sexual quips are far from a Rolling Stones comparison. It began as America’s answer to British bands like The Who, Led Zeppelin and the Yardbirds. In one swoop titled “Dream On,” Aerosmith began paving a 30-year-old road that took the standard turns of a rock ‘n’ roll band: drug battles, money problems and near-death experiences. But unlike their English counterparts, Aerosmith surfaced from it all with fresh pop appeal.
“Aerosmith are genuises,” said Rebecca Marcaiasava, an English sophomore. “Their first album rocks.”
The self-titled debut was released in January 1973 and built a grass-roots fan base that would help see the second album, “Get Your Wings” to gold. The record spent 86 weeks on the charts and fully introduced Steve Tyler’s sexual frankness through lyrics like, “You must have come here to find me/ You’ve got the look in your eyes /Although you really don’t mind it/ I am the Lord Of The Thighs.”
“The entire band is pure pheromone,” said Lisa Niven, a basic sciences junior. “I don’t know why, but everyone knows Aerosmith is sexy.”
All five rockers are in their fifties and still managing to stir women with lust. Maybe it’s Tyler’s sensitive insights such as, “You ain’t seen nothing /Till you’re down on a muffin” or Joe Perry’s ability to carry the most ingenious riffs. In addition to the talents of Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford, Aerosmith’s longevity can be attributed to skill and sex appeal.
“I doubt they would sell as many records if Tyler got fat and ugly,” said John Sullivan, an international studies senior. “But they put on one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll concerts you will ever see.”
These die-hard senior citizens have numbers to live up to when it comes to performances.
Aerosmith has grossed $59.9 million total record sales making them the “tenth-highest certified artist in music history,” according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
The current “Girls of Summer” tour began in August. New Orleans will be their 31st stop. The tour celebrates the March release of “Just Push Play” and July’s “O, Yeah! Greatest Hits.”
In critique of “Just Push Play” Tom Moon of “Rolling Stone Magazine” said, “Gone is the glossy pop ballads…in their place is a full-frontal guitar assault, bucketfuls of salacious attitude and the enduring Aerosmith mixture of wry turns of phrase paired with insinuating, combustible melodies.”
With the success of this album the band’s popularity seems to grow with each decade. As to which album or song is quintessential Aerosmith there lies a debate.
“‘Walk This Way’ has one of the best riffs to hit the air waves,”said Ricardo Jeffries, a mass communication freshman. “I don’t think you will soon see a band as good as Aerosmith.”
The female perspective prefers the empowerment found in “Janie’s Got a Gun.”
“It’s different and it is fun. Both Steven Tyler and the song are just groovy,” said Beth Foster, a communication disorder senior.
Whether favorites come in a shade of “Pink” or fill you with “Sweet Emotion,” fans can hear them live in New Orleans tonight.
Contact Erin Rolfs at [email protected]